Humanitarian Help from Elders?

by Thirdson 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Thirdson

  I was reasearching something recently and reading the "secret elder manual". I barely skimmed through this book when I had one and see it in a whole new light now.

  This is the question the "flock" book tries to answer:

  What can elders do if a disfellowshipped person is hospitalized and facing the issue of blood transfusions?

  The answer:

  Discretion should be used in determining what, if any,
  assistance might be given on a humanitarian basis to those
  not having a good standing in the congregation.

  For example, if a disfellowshipped one takes a firm
  stand on the blood issue, local elders or the Hospital
  Liaison Committee could share information with the
  family out of consideration for those faithful ones.
  PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK Unit 1b

  In other words if you are a DF'd person you are screwed. If you have a blood transfusion your chances of getting back in the JWs just drops off the scale. If you refuse you may die, may not get a JW funeral, may not get a resurection and won't get any help, humanitarian, pastoral or HLC assistance from the local JW elders. If however, you have a JW spouse who pleads and cries to the elders then for his/her sake, not yours they might request HLC assistance.

  I think the word "humanitarian" means something different in the Watchtower world. It's just amazing the things the Watchtower commits to paper.

  Thirdson
• 

  Frenchy

  Note the wording carefully. Only if the df'd person refuses blood would the elders come in and give the family 'advice'. This is to further their blood policy and is good pr stuff.
• 

  ChimpGirl

  Yeah, the word 'humanitarian' does mean something else to the elders. They don't like humans, remember? A humanitarian is one who seeks to promote human welfare; so it follows that for someone who thinks the majority of humans are better off/doomed to be dead, humanitarian action would involve helping them to be doomed and/or dead. So that all makes sense now, then.

  My father's on the hospital liaison committee in this country, I have to hear about all their triumphs and victories in their fight against blood. I just have to remind myself that finding alternatives is a good thing considering HIV etc, so there is a good side to what he's doing. The encouraging people to let their children die bit I do, however, have a little bit of a problem with.
• 

  outnfree

  Thirdson,

  This is very interesting information from the flock book for me.

  Seems my local elders didn't read it too closely, either.

  A DF'd friend of mine was in the hospital in ICU. She had minor, unbaptised children who were still attempting to attend meetings, arranging their own transportation. Usually, this was provided by myself or a mutual friend of ours. She had no other family in the 'truth'. So we two friends went to the elders to ask them to visit her in the hospital to see what assistance she needed. They point blank refused. The point about needing help on the blood issue WAS raised. Yet the response was: "Why would we ever do that? She's outside Jehovah's organization and unrepentant." (Many have refused to believe that these words came from an elder's mouth. The words are callous rather than merciful, no? But they did.) We then pleaded that the children would be adversely affected by the lack of love. It made no dent. We then asked if WE could assist the children (since we were not to assist the DF'd sister directly). That would be okay, sure. End of meeting.

  End of my wish to associate with such hard-hearted men who were supposed to be loving shepherds and refuges from the wind...

  So, yes, if the blood issue comes up and you are a disfellowshipped person, you ARE screwed...

  Pity these particular elders didn't even care enough to ascertain her stand on blood before they refused help.

  Pity these particular elders didn't care how the organization would be seen in the eyes of those children (who now, of course, want NOTHING TO DO with JWs).

  Pity these particular elders didn't care how the lack of love would adversely affect the spirituality of myself and our friend.

  Pity these particular elders -- who are supposed to be winning back souls -- didn't consider how "humanitarian aid" at that time might have positively affected all of us, especially the 'lost sheep'that was the ill sister.

  Instead of regaining one, they definitely lost TWO. And the potential for SIX other converts (my kids and hers).

  humanitarian, n. a person devoted to promoting the welfare of humanity, especially through the elimination of pain and suffering; a philanthropist.
  a. belonging to, or characteristic of humanitarians or humanitarianism

  self-serving, a. serving one's own selfish interests, especially at the expense of others

  Now, what was that scripture about "no natural affection? ... having a form of godliness but proving false to its power?"

  What would Jesus have done, indeed!

  outnfree

  When the truth is found to be lies
  and all the joy within you dies ... -- Darby Slick, Somebody to Love
• 

  jaded

  A young disfellowshiped brother at our hall was putting off surgery that he needed until he got reinstated so he would have the support of the elders. Don't know what ever happened. I was drifting away at the time. When I heard about this it was just one more thing to give me a push out of the WTS. All I could think was "how unloving".
• 

  Had Enough

  Hi Thirdson:

  Thanks for posting your thoughts on this. I agree totally and the experience outnfree related I have found is typical.

  Yet some people will label any relating of these kind of experiences as "picking out only the bad and being negative". I look at this and other bad experiences as pointing out the reality of what the WTS is all about.

  You say you see the "flock" book in a new light now. Yes...you are seeing the WTS, not negatively but realistically. They say they are treating the df'd person that way out of love. What a joke!!!

  Like outnfree related....where is the love shown to the family members.

  Thirdson says: "I think the word "humanitarian" means something different in the Watchtower world."

  Maybe we could display the definition of "humanitarian" the way the WTS is famous for...the manipulating of quotations to suit their purpose. The definiton as posted in outnfree's reply would then look like this:

  humanitarian, n. a person devoted to promoting.....pain and suffering.......especially through the elimination of....the welfare of humanity

  Then when confronted with the above misquote, we could reply as the WTS has before: "Well I got the words right didn't I?"

  Actually, in this case, this variation of the definition more appropriately fits the WTS anyway. I too have witnessed their "humanitarian" acts and see them for what they are inside....empty and void of "true" love.

  Had Enough

  "Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world.
  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."...Margaret Mead